Human costs of war

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Dear Editor:,

This week marks ten years since we sent our service members to invade Iraq for a lie. There have been no prosecutions of Bush Administration officials for war crimes, Guantanamo is still open, and the Patriot Act is still in place. Moreover, the human costs of war are taking their toll on our veterans and Iraqis.

Service members suffering from war's invisible wounds are having a hard time getting the care they earned. Veterans face average wait times of nine months to get disability claims processed because there currently is a backlog of about 900,000 cases.

A 2010 health study of Fallujah, Iraq reveals the highest rate of genetic damage in any population ever studied. Residents have high rates of cancer, birth defects, and sterility from U.S. bombs that used depleted uranium and white phosphorus. Other areas of Iraq face similar health problems.

It is not too late to hold our government accountable by demanding better care for our veterans and environmental clean-up in Iraqi. And while we're at it, let's get out of Afghanistan.